Lake Macquarie war memorials targeted by unauthorised plaques

Four war memorials in Lake Macquarie have been damaged by the unauthorised installation of plaques referencing the Frontier Wars. The affected sites include the Dudley War Memorial, the Belmont War Memorial at Cullen Park, the Belmont ‘Australia Remembers’ Memorial in Memorial Place, and the Minenwerfer German trench mortar monument in Speers Point Park.

The plaques contained the text: ‘Lest We Forget The Frontier Wars 1788-S. D. This municipality has been recognised as a nationally important site for truth telling.’

While the plaques have since been removed, Lake Macquarie City Council reported that several memorials sustained glue damage. Specifically, silicone used to attach the plaques etched into the granite of the Dudley monument and left marks on the Speers Point Park memorial. The council is currently investigating repair methods to avoid further damage, while staff prepare to inspect 12 other official war memorials in the local government area.